Means for locating submarine boats.



H. LOTZ.

MEANS FOR LOCATING SUBMARINE BOATS.

'APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. f9 l5.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET 1.

H LOTZ MEANS FOR LOCATING SUBMARINE BOATS APPLICATION FILED MAY 29,19l5

' Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UMTEE STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

'HENRY LOTZ, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MEANS FOR LOCATING SUBMARINE BOATS.

Application filed May 29, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LoTz, a sub ect of the Czar of Russia,residing at Lawrence,

in the county of Essex and State of Massa chusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Means for Locating SubmarineBoats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make .and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for raising sunken vessels, and moreparticularly to simple and efiicient means for locating and facilitatingspeedy recovery of lost submarine boats.

The invention has for its object to provide novel and eflicient devicesfor locating lost submarine and other boats including buoys andconveniently releasable means for se curing the buoys to the boat.

Another object is the provision of electrical means operatedautomatically during the ascent of the buoy to light a lamp therein andthus render the buoy visible at night.

WVith these and other objects'in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will behereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a submarine of the usualconstruction, illustrating the invention applied to use thereon. Fig. 2represents a side elevation of the submarine partly in section. Fig. 3represents an enlarged fragmental sectional view through a portion ofthe submarine illustrating the interior of the buoy in detail, and Fig.4 represents a transverse sectional view on the line H of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral6 indicates the body of a submarine having the usual deck or platform 7secured to the top thereof adjacent the opposite ends of which areprovided chambers or compartments 8, in which the ends of buoy lines orcables 9 are rigidly secured. The lines 9 are normally coiled Within thechambers 8, and the free ends thereof are extended through apertures 10formed in the platform or deck 7 and through rings 11 formed laterallyand *at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Serial No. 31,273.

the top of posts 12, suitably secured in a vertical position through thesubmarine body 5. The upper extremities of the posts 12 are providedwith downwardly curved arms 13, adapted to be received -within ringssecured to the lower extremities of raising llnes, whereby the submarinemay be raised to the surface of the water.

Buoy holders 1% are arranged upon the deck or platform 7 inwardly of theposts 12 and are adapted to receive buoys 15, the lower extremities ofwhich are provided with rings 16 receiving the free ends of pvoted'retaining bars 17. The bars 17 are plvotally secured at 18 to thebody 6 of the submarine boat and the free ends thereof are adapted to beengaged under angularly directed ends 19 of rotatable locking elements20, which latter are extended downwardly through stuffing 21 arranged inthe body 6 of the submarine boat and are provided at their lowerextremities with handles 22, whereby the locking elements or shafts 20maybe rotated from the interior of the submarine so as to release theretaining bars 17. The free ends of the buoy lines 9 are attached to therings 16 at the lower extremities of the buoys, and the holders 1% areslotted, as at 23, to permit free swinging movement of the retainingbars 17 when the latter are released.

A shaft 25 is rotatably mounted in bearings 26 secured in diametricallyopposed relation within each buoy 15 and is enlarged centrally, as at27, and is formed with an aperture for the reception of an electricbattery 28. A lens or globe 29 is secured in the upper end of the buoyand an electric lamp 30 is supported beneath the lens in a holder orsocket 31. One of the poles of "the battery 28 is connected with one ofthe points of contact of the lamp 30 by a conductor 32, and the othercontact of the lamp is connected with a contact plate 33 secured in thelower reduced extremity of the buoy 15 by a conductor 34;. The pole ofthe electric battery 28 opposite the conductor 32 is connected with asecond contact plate 35 secured in the lower tapered end of the buoy 15opposite the contact plate 33 by a conductor 36. A frusto-conicalcircuit closing member 37 is movably disposed in the lower portion ofthe buoy 15 and is adapted to engage the contacts 33 and 35 when moveddownwardly so as to close the electrical circuit to the lamp 30. Thelower relatively small end of the frusto-conical circuit closing member37 is connected with the buoy line 9 at a point adjacent the ring 16' bya flexible member 38', which latter is extended through an aperture 39formed in the lower adjacent extremity of the buoy. The length of theflexible member 38 is such that when the buoy line is drawn tight, asduring the upward movement of the buoy in the water, subsequent to beingreleased, the flexible member 38 is drawn longitudinally, thus engagingthe contact member 37 with the diametrically opposed contact plates 33and 35 and closing the electrical circuit to the lamp 30.

When an accident happens to the subma rine, either or both of theretaining rods 17 are released by turning the shafts 20 and disengagingthe angularly directed ends 19 thereof from the free extremity of thebars 17, thus permitting the latter to swing upwardly under the buoyantinfluence of the buoys 15, which latter float to the surface of thewater, drawing the lines 9 upwardly therewith. The weight of the lines 9causes the flexible members 38 to be drawn tight and thus engages thefrusto-conical circuit closing member 37 with the contact plates 33 and35, thus closing the circuit to the lamp 30 and rendering the buoyclearly visible atnight.

What I claim is:

1. In a buoy, a body, an electric lamp arranged in the upper portion ofsaid body, a buoy line attached to the lower end of said body, a sourceof electro-motive force pivotally sup-ported in said body, a normallyopen electrical circuit connecting said source of electro-motive forcewith said lamp, and

means operable by said buoy line to close said circuit.

2. In a buoy, a body, a source of electromotive force supported in saidbody, an electric lamp in the upper portion of said body, a buoy linesecured to the lower end of said buoy, a normally open electricalcircuit connecting said source of electro-motive force with said lamp,means for closing said electrical circuit to light said lamp, and aflexible member connecting said circuit closing means and said buoyline.

3. In a buoy, a body, a shaft rotatably mounted in said body, a sourceof electromotive force supported upon said shaft, a lamp arranged in theupper portion of said buoy, a buoy line attached to said buoy, anormally open electrical circuit connecting said source ofelectro-motive force with said lamp, a pair of spaced contact platesarranged in said circuit, a frusto-conical circuit closing memberadapted to engage said contact plates to'close said circuit, and aflexible element connecting said circuit closing member with said buoyline.

4. In a buoy, a body, an electric lamp arranged in the upper portion ofsaid body, a

buoy line attached to the lower end of said body, a source ofelectro-motive force arranged in said body, a normally open elec tricalcircuit connecting said source of electro-motive force with said lamp,and means operable by said buoy line to close said circuit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY LOTZ. Witnesses:

JOHN F. BYRNE, W. C. DAVIS.

